Gardiaime
by Miner49er201
Summary: It's the end of the year. Collège Françoise Dupont is hosting a Christmas party and Secret Santa divided by class, and a foreign-exchange student from America has arrived in time for the festivities. Of course, Hawkmoth is all too eager to find a new target for his akumas, and with Mayura's help, this new student may be the crux of their victory. (Rated T for character death)
1. A New Arrival

**Note: I do not own Miraculous: Les Adventures de Ladybug et Chat Noir. Please support the official release.**

**Releases may be inconsistent due to school, family, or life rearing its ugly head, though I sincerely hope that what I do release will be enjoyable for not only you readers and browsers out there, but also myself when I inevitably come back years later to reread it.**

**To prevent any trouble, the students in this story will be aged up, though the present timeline will still exist.**

* * *

A collective murmur was heard reverberating throughout Mme. Bustier's classroom during homeroom. Students were eagerly discussing their plans for the fast-approaching Winter Break including, of course, Christmas Day. Adding to the excitement was an end of the year Christmas party held by the school, including a Secret Santa event for classmates, whose lots would be drawn not long after class began.

"Oh, I wonder who I will get!" Rose exclaimed to Juleka, who in turn muttered a response. Given the time of year, each of the students was adorned in their own winter clothes. Rose wore a puffy magenta jacket emblazoned with a pink flower on the left shoulder, and a pair of furry white earmuffs rested upon her desk. Beside her, Juleka sported a long purple jacket reaching down to her mid-thigh and its high collar covering up to her mouth, when she had it fully zipped.

"I believe that we have about a six-point-sixty-seven percent chance of getting any individual person, including Mme. Bustier, of course." Max replied from the row below. Max's jacket was neatly buttoned and tucked so as the maintain the perfect temperature while outside, though still appearing breathable, as he did not appear to be overheating while inside.

"Well, yeah", Alya chimed in, "we all know that it's a low chance we get the one person who we want, but some of us still hope, right Marinette?" Sending a pointed look to the girl in question, who was presently zoned out while staring at the back of another student in the row in front of her.

"Yeah..." Marinette sighed, before realizing where she was. "Wait, what? I... Aghh!" Upon being startled out of her 'trance', Marinette immediately fumbled from her seat and landed on the ground, earning the laughter of her best friend beside her.

"Easy girl, it's not that big a deal. We're just wondering who we're gonna get for Secret Santa!" Alya helped Marinette off the ground and gave her a wide smile, while not-so-subtly wiggling her eyebrows. "And although we can hope for certain people, we really have no clue until it happens!"

Alya was wearing a simple orange blazer coat, accented with a white scarf and gloves. Marinette, on the other hand, wore something of her own design as usual; a dark gray coat with white accents, a pink scarf, and white earmuffs which rested in her bag under the desk.

In the row preceding Alya and Marinette, Nino and Adrien were having their own conversation. Nino sported a casual blue hoodie, though the visor of his cap could still be seen peeking out from underneath, even when the hood was up. Adrien, like Marinette, was wearing specially-designed clothing, though in the former's case, it was promotion for his father's new winter line. A sleek white coat with faux fur at the wrists and collar, buttoned neatly down the front and paired with a pale blue scarf which the young model insisted upon wearing - it was his favorite scarf, of course, which he had received from 'his father' for his birthday last year.

"Dude, I hope that we get each other for Secret Santa!" Nino exclaimed, only half-trying to maintain a whispered voice.

Adrien nodded along, smiling before rubbing the back of his head with his hand and looking a bit down. "I just hope that Father lets me go to the event. I don't want to miss it."

"He has to, dude! It's still a school day, so you'll be here. Can't you just tell him that it will be for extra credit?" Nino immediately shot back.

"I don't want to lie to Father, but I'll see if I can get enough time to draw my lot for Secret Santa." Adrien replied.

It was at this point that three more students entered the classroom; Chloe, Sabrina, and Lila. Chloe, of course, immediately exclaimed. "Why would you need to draw lots, Adrikins? Just get a gift for _moi_ and everything will be perfect, there's no reason to worry about these other losers." Sabrina excitedly nodded her head in response, while there were a few groans from other students around the room. Chloe was wearing a bright yellow and black jacket, chosen to accentuate her ego of being one of the few people in Paris to have briefly wielded a Miraculous - Queen Bee. Sabrina was wearing a puce jacket, very simple in comparison to Chloe's garment, while Lila wore a maroon longcoat reaching down to her ankles, similarly-colored gloves, and a black scarf. The styling and stitching looked professional, and its opulence competed even with Chloe.

"Really, Chloe? You and Adrien are best friends, I'm sure that you get gifts from him all the time. It would be nice if one of us got a gift from him for a change, don't you think?" Lila countered, earning nods from the other students. "I mean, we're all his friends, right? Why should you get to have him all to yourself?"

Before Chloe could retort back, Mme. Bustier entered the classroom, dressed in her usual attire. The students sat down, or returned to their normal seats, in some cases, and class was about to begin. "Before the start of homeroom", Mme. Bustier began, "I would like to announce that we will be having a foreign-exchange student with us until the end of the year in June!" Murmurs of excitement, curiosity, and a single 'ridiculous, utterly ridiculous' were heard before the room was quiet again. Then, stepping through the door was a young man in his early twenties with dirty blonde hair, forest green eyes, and a polite smile. His outfit consisted of black jeans, a gray blazer, a dark green scarf, and, oddly enough, black combat boots and fingerless gloves. Mme. Bustier gestured to the strangely-dressed newcomer. "This is Roman, an exchange student from America. He will be participating in this year's Secret Santa, so I hope that everyone can get along. Roman, please take a moment to introduce yourself before taking a seat. You can sit next to Ivan during your time here." She then points to the aforementioned seat, and then takes her own place behind her desk.

Roman cleared his throat, took a deep breath, and then started "Hello, my name is Roman Faust. It's very nice to meet you. I am twenty-one years old, a recreational kickboxer, and a huge fan of Ladybug and Chat Noir". Ending with a smile and a small bow, the class then erupted into talking and questions. Alya in particular was curious about how influential the Parisian duo was in America, and the morning was off to a wonderful start.


	2. Questions

**Note: I do not own Miraculous: Les Adventures de Ladybug et Chat Noir, nor the characters in the show. Please support the official show.**

* * *

Roman's short but punctual introduction completed, the class erupted into a roar of questions, exclamation, and welcoming energy all at once. It was, however, promptly silenced by a few short claps from the hands of Mme. Bustier.

"Now then class, I know that you're all very excited to meet Roman, though we have a class to complete. I'll allow for three questions, each from a different person, and then we'll begin." Mme. Bustier, well-known for her amiable resolutions to problems in the classroom, quickly eased the roar of reactions to a wave of excitement, murmuring just below the students' collective surface. "Roman," she addressed, "I'll have you choose who gets to ask questions. Just point at someone raising their hand, and I'll tell you their name." Roman nodded, then turned his emerald eyes on the class, looking over each one with a curious smirk on his lips.

Needless to say, everyone in the class rose their hands, other than Chloe, who got a raised eyebrow from the transfer student as a result. Easily the most excitable of the raised hands was Alya, who was half-sitting, half-standing and shaking her arm with barely contained enthusiasm. Roman, after a moment of shaking his head, seemingly in amusement, he pointed at her for his first question. Mme. Bustier quickly chimed in with her name, and Alya immediately started talking.

"Nice to meet you Roman, I'm Alya, the creator of the Ladyblog. You mentioned that you are a 'huge fan' of Ladybug and Chat Noir, even though you're from America. My question is this; how popular are the Parisian super-duo where you come from?" Given that she had clearly been holding in her question to the bring of just announcing it regardless of who had been chosen, Alya seemed quite exhausted, though no less interested in the answer. Her eyes were sparkling, and Marinette recognized this as the 'Next Big Scoop' look, which the Ladyblogger often had when it came to the subject of superheroes.

In response, Roman chuckled, bringing the knuckle of his forefinger to cover his closed lips. "Apologies, I don't mean to laugh," he started, his voice a few timbres deeper than most of the students, due to his age, "before I answer your question, let me just say that it's an honor to meet the person who created the Ladyblog. A lot of people I know back home are big fans of both you and the super-duo, as you call them, and they often have me read out your posts in English so that they can understand." He nodded, in acknowledgement of Alya, before continuing. "As for the question itself, people in America are often very interested in superheroes for a variety of reasons, though because of that, when two real-life heroes appeared here in Paris, quite the large fanbase made itself apparent there. There are even stores that sell merchandise, though I personally think coming to France and having the potential to see them in person is more worthwhile."

Alya thanked Roman for his answer and sat down, though mere moments after she was giddily shaking in her seat as she searched up American merchandise for her favorite heroes. Marinette knew that there would be a post on the Ladyblog before the end of the night, detailing her critiques of said products, as well as the fanbase in America.

"I've got a question too, Mme. Bustier." Chloe, raising her hand, interrupted.

"That's wonderful, Chloe," said instructor chimed, "though it's up to Roman whether or not he wants to pick your question."

"It's alright, Mme. Bustier," Roman responded, "What is your question, Chloe?" He asked with a smile on his face.

There were small whispers of concern about the classroom, with the majority of the students tentatively worried whether or not Chloe would play nice with the foreign exchange student. Despite being the daughter of Paris' mayor, Chloe lacked training in her consideration for other people, and oftentimes mocked them for one thing or another. This led to a large number of Akumatized villains from those she conversed with, as well as a general feeling of dislike for the young woman.

"Umm, yeah." Chloe started, and everyone knew that it would only go south from there, though they could not interrupt due to Mme. Bustier's excitement at Ms. Bourgeois' participation. "Can I just ask who dressed you today? Because, if it was a butler or servant, I would fire them immediately. Though, if you did that to yourself, I just feel sorry for you, having no sense of style. I mean, combat boots and fingerless gloves? Talk about tacky." Roman's smile and right eye ever so slightly twitched at the end of the question, though other than that he had no reaction to the inquiry.

Roman then clicked his tongue, making a "Tsk" noise that echoed through the quiet of the classroom. Chloe had a smug look on her face, and was posturing in a way that clearly stated her perceived superiority over the company she held. It was only a few seconds after that Roman answered, though the pause was physically felt by everyone in the room, who were now all on the edge of their seats for his reply.

"First. I am not so monetarily blessed as yourself, Ms... Bourgeois, that I could afford a butler or servant. As such, I dressed myself this morning, thank you." The students were clearly leaning forward at their desks, hanging on Roman's words as to what he would say in response to Chloe's... usual demeanor. "Second. I wear these because they're comfortable. After all, if I wore such high-end and expensive clothing as yourself on a daily basis, I would feel so stuffy that I'd be likely to think that my collar was preventing oxygen from reaching my brain." A small but proud smile was displayed on Roman's face when he finished with "Speaking of which, how are you feeling today, Ms. Bourgeois?"

The classroom erupted into a cheer, which was again quickly silenced by Mme. Bustier's clapping. Chloe was notably red in the cheeks due to indignation, and there was still one more question to answer.

In the end, the final question came from Kim, who was dressed in a red hoodie and track pants, even despite the winter weather. "When did you start kickboxing, and what made you want to get into it?" Despite his composure, he appeared just as excited as Alya to have his question answered.

Roman looked down at his hand, readjusted one of his fingerless gloves, then returned his gaze to Kim. "I started kickboxing about... five years back, when I was a sophomore in high school. I was having a rough time, for multiple reasons, and needed some kind of outlet. It got out the stress, and helped me... process some things." Roman paused, and his face was neutral, but his eyes were sad to anyone who could see them. He took a breath before continuing; "Now it's something that I enjoy when I've got a lot on my mind, and just need a little break." The smile returned to Roman's eyes and face by the time he finished, though the class was clearly sobered of their previous excitement.

Following Mme. Bustier's instruction when he entered, Roman sat down next to Ivan, who himself was wearing a large dark gray parka, in the second-to-back row. It was at this point that class began in full, starting with a recap for the new introduction.

Mme. Bustier stood at the front and center of the room, a textbook opened on the desk behind her. "Last class, we covered the death of King Louis XV in 1774, who left his grandson, Louis XVI, with 'a heavy legacy, with ruined finances, unhappy subjects, and a faulty and incompetent government', as well as how the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War had bankrupted the state." The lecture continued on the subjects of the creation of the National Assembly, the Tennis Court Oath, and the storming and seizure of the Bastille prison, which led to the establishment of Bastille day on July 14th as a national holiday.

It was at this point, however, that screams began to ring out around the school, and everyone's phone - with the exception of Roman's - buzzed and lit up with the most dreaded disaster warning in recent years; an Akuma alert.


	3. Sculptrusa

**I do not own Miraculous: Les Adventures de Ladybug et Chat Noir, please support the official release.**

* * *

Upon hearing the Akuma alert go off, Mme. Bustier immediately started assembling the class and leading them out into the main courtyard. Since the beginning of HawkMoth's habitual villain-creating tendencies, Paris has adapted and involved not only the app-based alert, but also full-scale alarms, and 'Akuma drills' at the local schools and universities. Not unlike a fire drill, the classes were expected to line up in an area that was deemed 'secure' or as secure as possible against magically-created supervillains while Ladybug and Chat Noir address the problem.

This, unfortunately, does not tend to work when the akuma is one of the students already inside the school, as was the case today. Thick gouts of fog rolled out along the catwalk rimming the upper level of the courtyard, pouring through the gaps in the metal railing to fill the courtyard as if it were an enormous basin.

"We don't know what's causing this fog, or it's potential effects, so please refrain from touching it." Mme. Bustier stated, in an attempt to refocus the class. "As such, we will not be going down into the courtyard today."

"There is a ninety-eight percent chance that this fog was caused by the akuma," Max stated, "so it would be best to leave it alone." Pushing his glasses up with his finger, he continued. "There should be a few fire exits around the school. If we can find one of those-"

"Then we should be able to escape." Kim concluded, and though he interrupted Max, the latter boy nodded.

Looking pointedly at Kim was Alix, who was dressed in a black hoodie decorated with a neon green dragon curling up its left side, red hair sticking down out of a similarly-adorned beanie. "So, which way do you think we should escape, if you know so much?" She had a small smirk on her face, knowing that she'd put her friendly rival on the spot.

"Well... I-uh." Kim started. "We... we can split up and look in different directions?" He ended with a shrug.

Mme. Bustier immediately shut down that idea, stating that the class should stick together, though Nathaniel soon spoke up from his place near the back of the line.

"Where's Marinette?" His coat and beanie were the same color of his vibrant red hair, so much so that it didn't appear as if he were wearing a beanie at all. He was looking around at his classmates when he noticed that the 'clumsy' designer was nowhere to be seen. Peeking over the railing, he was happy to know that she hadn't fallen into the fog. Though it was then that a puff of said smoke flew into his face, and covered his body. There was a collective gasp from the class as the fog cleared - and where Nathaniel was standing there was now a statue carved out of marble in the exact image of him. Nathaniel had been turned to stone!

"I'll go look for her!" Adrien shouted as he ran off, away from the rest of the class.

"Whatever happened to him could happen to us if we don't move." Roman announced. "Everybody should grab a partner and start moving to a more enclosed area. We don't want to be near this stuff, especially knowing what it can do."

In pairs, the class began moving in the same direction Adrien ran, only to stop as the sound of stone colliding with metal rang out twice from just behind them. Turning, they saw what would be described as a moving marble statue with glowing, pale blue eyes, long hair that curled around her shoulders, a single-piece cocktail dress, and a turquoise and brass necklace half-embedded in her chest. The statue - or rather, the akuma - took in a deep breath, then exhaled a breath of fog that washed over the class, as they could only stare.

* * *

Ladybug arrived on the scene soon after, dressed in a form-fitting red bodysuit with black spots, a mask of identical coloration covering the space around her eyes, which looked over the collection of marble statues which used to be her classmates. Nino and Alya holding onto each other, much like Ivan and Mylene, the latter of which had her brightly-colored knit sweater turned alabaster white by the akuma's effect. Chloe held Sabrina in front of her, though it didn't save the mayor's daughter from being affected. An eyebrow was raised and eyes were rolled at the sight of Roman, the newcomer, who had placed himself in front of Lila. Juleka and Rose, Max and Kim, Alix and Nathaniel, they were all here, watched over by Mme. Bustier, who had her hand out towards the direction they were all facing, as if to yell 'stop' to whatever did this. Ladybug tensed her fist, then relaxed as she took a breath, knowing that everything would go back to normal as soon as the akuma was brought down, and the miraculous ladybugs did their job.

The sound of metal on metal put her guard up, she swung her yo-yo with practiced ease, only to find Chat Noir propped up on his baton behind her. He too, was taking in the sight of the statues behind her, and though she thought she saw a quirked eyebrow, it was quickly gone and his eyes were on her, with the same charming smile that she was accustomed to. "It's always _marble_ous to see you, milady. I'm happy to know you haven't taken me for _granite_."

A slight groan and another eye-roll were the immediate reply. "Good to see you too, Chat. Have you seen the akuma yet?"

Standing up straight, he shook his head, further messing up his blond hair. "I haven't, but I know that touching the fog is a bad idea." He shrugs with a playful grin. "I nearly fell into it earlier, but I'm glad I _mist_." His expression grew serious. "I saw a civilian get turned to stone when they came into contact with it."

Ladybug opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by a heavy landing behind them. They were met with a woman made from marble, with a turquoise gem embedded in her chest. "Ladybug..." the akuma whispered, wisps of fog escaping her lips as she spoke. "How dare you? Are you trying to steal him from me? What's next? My position as a weathergirl?!" She then sucked in a breath of air, and released a breath of fog at the two heroes.

Avoiding the rolling mist by jumping to the school roof, Ladybug gasped and turned to Chat. "It's Mireille! Mireille Caquet, the weathergirl! But what would cause her to become this?"

"I would think that she'd just become another Stormy Weather. Why is she trying to stone us, too much _pressure_?" He wiggled his eyebrows, but was quickly tossed down against the roof as Ladybug jumped on top of him. He watched as a ball of fog flew past, and the two heroes rolled away from the edge as Mireille leapt up after them.

Quickly standing up, Ladybug called out to the akuma. "Mireille! Why are you doing this?"

"My name is Sculptrusa!" She replied. "And I will turn anyone who stands in my way into a work of art! You got between me and Theo, Ladybug, so I'll turn you into a statue, so your only affection will come from bird sh-"

"Even if she were a statue, I would still _lava_ her." Chat Noir interrupted. "But from what I'm hearing, you and Theo are like two tectonic plates right now; too much _friction_." Grabbing Ladybug around the waist, he extended his baton to propel the two of them further into the city. "We need to talk to Theo." He said, releasing her. "Whatever happened, he should know. Let's go to his studio and check around." At Ladybug's nod, they put their full focus on speed.

Landing in the midst of Theo's art studio, they assessed their surroundings and quickly saw a number of pieces dedicated to Mireille which had been created after their last visit when Theo was akumatized. They easily found the young artist, and questioned him about Mireille's akumatization. Theo told them that he had been working on a project for the last few days - a portrait of Mireille - and had told her that his project was of 'the one he adores', though when he sent a photo to accompany the message, he chose the wrong photo, which was a new statuette of Ladybug commissioned by Chloe Bourgeois, who had messaged asking for a picture of it. The picture got sent to Mireille, and he can only guess as to what happened after.

Ladybug began pacing, while Chat chimed in. "One more clue and we can _roll_ right along. It's _sedimentary_, my dear Lady."

Although she sighed, she nodded in agreement. "If we just need one more clue, why don't we leave it to chance? Lucky Charm!" Her one-use power activated, the magic coalesced into-

"A fog machine?" was Chat's incredulous vocalization. "Well, it never goes wrong, so it can't be a _mist_ake."

"You made that joke earlier." Ladybug replied.

"It seems that I need to be a bit _boulder_ in my puns, then." His cheeky grin said it all; he repeated a pun on purpose.

Heavy footsteps on the roof cut their banter short, and three orbs of petrifying fog were launched down into the studio. Chat cried out his own power, but then cried out and was quickly cut off. Sculptusa jumped down and saw a cloud of fog in a vaguely humanoid shape. Stepping over to admire it, she swept her arm to disperse the fog, and seeing the opening, Chat pressed his Cataclysm-charged claw to the turquoise gemstone in her chest, causing it to crumble into dust. A black butterfly emerged from it, which was quickly caught by Ladybug, who had been unplugging the fog machine, and purified. Sculptusa returned to being Mireille Caquet, and the fog machine was thrown into the air with a shout of 'Miraculous Ladybug', curing the akuma's effects across Paris.

Chat held out his fist toward Ladybug, who met it with her own fist and a shared exclamation of 'Well Played!'

* * *

Mme. Bustier's class found themselves stiff and confused mere moments after the fog washed over them, and Alya was the first one to put it together that Ladybug and Chat Noir must have saved the day while they were petrified.

Roman sat down with his back against the wall, leaning his head back. "So that was an akuma." He said, more as a statement of fact than a question. Turning towards the rest of the class, he inquired. "How do you all deal with that, as often as they occur?"

Once again, it was Alya who spoke up, with her hands on her hips and a smug smile on her face. "We can deal with it as long as we know that Ladybug and Chat Noir are there to save the day, as any true fan of them would know." This statement was met with a number of nods and affirmations from the rest of the class, with a scoff from Lila, who quickly covered it up as a cough from the fog, and a somewhat sad look from Chloe.

It was only a few moments after when Marinette came running back, followed by Adrien. It seemed as though they had both been caught by the akuma and turned into statues looking for an escape route.

Due to the akuma taking up so much time, class was let out for the rest of the day. Roman was roped into going to the Trocadéro plaza by Kim, Max, and Alix, who were all followed by Alya, who wanted to get details about Ladybug and Chat Noir in America, and Nino, who was accompanying her. Adrien was picked up by his bodyguard right after school, and Marinette headed home to help her parents in the bakery. Thus ended Roman's first day at Collège Françoise Dupont, surrounded by new friends with similar interests, and his first experience with an akuma.


	4. Of Heroes

**I don't own Les Adventures de Ladybug et Chat Noir, please support the official release.**

* * *

The day after the Sculptrusa akuma, Mireille apologized to everyone at the school for her actions. Her apology was accepted, with the mention that the majority of people at the school had already been akumatized, some had even been hit twice or more. It was water under the bridge leading into an easy-going week with no additional supervillains appearing within the confines of the school. There was, of course, the unfortunate case of M. Ramier, who had - for the 29th time - been struck by an akuma and transformed into the notorious M. Pigeon, followed by a record-breaking capture of said akuma by Ladybug and Chat Noir soon after, their concentration broken only by a few sneezes from the ironically allergic cat hero.

Adrien had just returned from his quick stop to the restroom, followed immediately by Marinette, who nearly tripped over her own two feet. This would have sent her flailing into the young model's back, though in what seemed to be an attempt to prevent that occurrence, she flung herself to the side, landing in a pile next to Nino's desk. Of course, this garnered the attention of Chloe, who Roman had gathered had a deep loathing of the aspiring designer.

"Very smooth, Dupain-Cheng. If only you stitched as well as you fall, maybe you wouldn't have tripped over those ratty shoes of yours." Of course, this was quickly followed by a haughty chuckle, a supportive comment from Sabrina, who almost seemed more like a henchmen than a friend to the mayor's daughter, and an admonishing look from Adrien, which quickly silenced her. Oddly enough, when Adrien offered a hand to help Marinette to her feet, she shot up stock-straight on her own, then quickly slid around the desk - not making contact with the boy in front of her - and sat at her own seat, only to end up laying her head on her desk with unnecessary force.

All of this was observed by Roman from the back of the class, who frankly had no idea what to make of the string of events. Mme. Bustier had finished her lesson early, so she had allowed the class free reign of the room until the final bell, and left for elsewhere. The days since his arrival had gone much better than expected; finding quick friends in Kim, Max, Alix, and Markov due to his kickboxing pastime, and Alya, Nino, and Marinette for his admiration of Ladybug and Chat Noir. He got along especially well with Adrien, who despite having been homeschooled for the majority of his life, had a lot of interests which overlapped with his own, including the aforementioned two.

"Hey Roman, I'm going to head to the pool later today, want to join me?" Kim piped up from where he was standing next to Alix by Max's desk. "I asked Max and Alix, but neither of them want to come along."

"Kim, you know that I haven't yet waterproofed Markov." Max replied. "If he were to fall into the pool, I would lose someone who I consider to be as good a friend to me as you are." He pushed up his glasses and then smiled before continuing. "I should have it done before the end of next week, so there's an eighty-seven percent chance that I'll be able to join you next Saturday."

Alix then chimed in, having both hands behind her head. "And you know that I like to hang in the art room near the end of the week. I get to do some spray painting while listening in to Nathaniel and Marc's comic book progress. It's coming along great, Nath!" She quickly turns to give a thumbs-up to the red-headed artist.

"You know that we're trying to keep it a secret, Alix. It's fine if you hear what we're doing, but don't share it with anyone until we've finished, okay?" Nathaniel said in retort.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I just wanted to let you know that it sounds amazing. You might even be able to sell copies of it, given how good it's bound to be. I mean, I can't hear what the pictures look like, but I know that you do good work, and Marc's storyboards are better than most movies out nowadays. You've got nothing to worry about." Alix's sincerity shocked the artist silent for a moment, but then he gave a thank you and said that he'd let Marc know about her praise.

Seeing a break in the conversation, Roman gave his reply to Kim's question. "Sorry, Kim. I wanted to talk to Alya for a bit before heading out. So, if it's not too much trouble, could I meet you at the pool a little later today?"

"Uh, sure! I'll see you there!" Was Kim's cheerful response, but there was a curious glance towards Alya, which was shared by a few other students. The girl in question, however, was ecstatic.

"Are you finally ready to do that follow-up interview I asked you about when you arrived? You mentioned that you weren't ready to be recorded for the Ladyblog, but I can do just audio instead." Alya's Ladyblogger instincts had flared up, but were immediately quashed, then rekindled as Roman continued.

"Uh, no. No interview. I was just... well." He paused for a moment, searching for the right words. "I wanted to ask you a few things about Akumas. Given that Mireille - that is, Sculptrusa - was the first I'd ever seen, I have to admit that I'm more than a bit curious about how they work, exactly."

Alya took a sharp intake of breath, and Roman quickly interposed. "But first I wanted to ask you guys what you like about Ladybug and Chat Noir! As a... as a fellow fan. I want to know why you all look up to them." There was a light dusting of embarrassment over the cheeks of the transfer student, having shouted part of his question a little louder than intended.

All of the students, other than Lila and Chloe, quickly clambered together on the same side of the room, excitedly whispering about what they were going to say was their favorite parts about the heroes who had saved the city on countless occasions.

Alya stepped down to the front of the classroom and clapped her hands, gathering everyone's attention in a way very similar to Mme. Bustier. "Now, everyone here has something to say about Ladybug and Chat Noir." She shot a sharp look towards Chloe. "But unless we just want to trip over everyone else's words, I suggest we raise our hands and go in order. Oh! How about we raise our hands when we think of what we want to say, and then Roman picks us, like on his first day?" At everyone's approval, Alya nodded. "Alright, then it's settled. Roman, whenever you're ready, just pick someone."

Nino was first up, though his response that the super duo were "rockin' dudes" didn't hold up to Alya. He quickly remedied that Ladybug and Chat Noir are very down to earth, despite how popular they are. This got a few pointed glances towards Chloe, but nobody said anything. "It makes them approachable, y'know?" Nino continued. "Like, you don't feel intimidated or afraid to ask them for help. They feel like normal people under the suits, and that puts people at ease when they're around, I think." A round of nods were had, and some stories were shared of how Ladybug's confidence and Chat's laid-back attitude put them at ease, even during some of the more dangerous akuma attacks.

Ivan was chosen next, and although he was normally a man of few words, he voiced his concerns about having been the first akuma; Stoneheart. "I didn't know what had happened, if I was going to be okay. What had happened to me? Would I be normal after the butterfly was gone? I don't think anybody knew what was going on, and there was this tension. People started avoiding me, worried that I would turn back into that monster. It wasn't until HawkMoth appeared that people stopped blaming me for turning into a monster." He paused and looked away. Mylene placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, and he turned back to the class. "Once Ladybug had purified the akuma, and all the damage was repaired, I felt a weight being lifted from my chest. I thought to myself; as long as she's around, we can go back to how it was before the attack. Everything can be fixed." There were nods throughout the class at this point, and more than just Mylene offered support to Ivan, since nobody really knew how he felt about being the first victim.

From there, the rest of the class shared short stories about what the Parisian heroes mean to them. Mylene states that Ladybug makes her want to be brave, Juleka says that she admires Ladybug's confidence, Rose sends a look to Juleka before saying that thanks to Ladybug's efforts, she was able to get together with someone she liked. Alya and Nino share a look as well. Nathaniel tells how Ladybug became his inspiration for the comic book that he and Marc were working together on, which was coming along nicely. Sabrina states that Ladybug was helping her stand up for herself, though there were a couple of odd looks at that.

It was at this point that the only members of the class not enthralled with stories of heroism began to speak up.

"Who cares about that Ladybug?" Lila exclaimed. "She was completely rude and insulting to me every time we've met. Even after she cleansed an akuma that was chasing me through the city, she didn't even try to help me find my way home. I was lost until that evening!"

"Not only that, but Ladybug ignored me every time I tried to help her!" Chloe jumped in. "She could've had my help as Queen Bee whenever she wanted, but she never came to ask. I felt ridiculous, utterly ridiculous for thinking that she cared about me!"

Alya soon stepped in. "Lila, I don't know what happened between you and Ladybug, but she is busy with saving the city, and often can't stay for long after an akuma attack. If she had the time, she would've helped you."

"And as for you, Chloe." Alya's attention was immediately directed at the mayor's daughter. "When have you ever done something deserving of being Queen Bee? I know that Ladybug didn't give you that Miraculous, because you blatantly told the entire world your identity. Ladybug prides herself on her secrets - not even Chat Noir knows who she is - and yet you announced who you were, misused your powers, and made yourself and your family a target for HawkMoth and Mayura!"

"I'll have you know that I'm a great Queen Bee! In fact, Ladybug will probably come crawling back with my miraculous the next time an akuma attacks." Chloe shot back. "But she lost that chance. No matter how much she wants me to be part of her superhero team, I'm too good for the likes of her!" Chloe then looked away from the rest of the class, and spoke so that nobody else would hear; "Even though I did enjoy it..."

Alya shrugged off the comment of her least-favorite member of the class, and turned to Roman. "Speaking of the next attack, you need to get the akuma alert downloaded, just in case. We don't want you to be turned into another statue, after all." Soon, the app was downloaded, along with another for the Ladyblog website, and the conversation turned back to Ladybug and Chat Noir.

Kim chimed in with his admiration of the way that they soar across rooftops and through the air of the city to get from place to place. "I wish I could do that all the time." Although the young swimmer said that he just liked how athletic they were, he didn't deny when Adrien said that Kim liked how free they were.

"Sometimes I wish that I were a superhero." Adrien said. "Between fencing, Chinese, all of my extra-curricular activities, school, and modeling, sometimes I feel restricted. Almost like I have no time to just be me. If I had the ability to go anywhere I wanted in Paris at any time, I know I'd use it as much as possible. Plus, I'd be able to spend time with the person I admire most."

Alya took that moment to cut in; "I don't think that any of us here," she gestured to the group not including Chloe or Lila, "would argue against how amazing Ladybug is. She saved my life on too many occasions to count, and I'd give anything I had if it meant she could do her job in peace - aside from the Ladyblog, that is. But, jokes aside, Ladybug is the biggest reason why I can keep getting up in the morning to face piles of homework and boredom, the reason why I can say with certainty that the future is going to be okay. She's my hero." Alya took a second to wipe the corner of her eye before switching back into gear. "Alright, who's left? Marinette, Alix, and Max?" The three people in question nodded, with all of them raising their hands to speak. Roman pointed to Marinette, and she took in a breath before saying what she felt she needed to.

"Everyone always says that 'Ladybug is the greatest' or that she's 'the real hero', but I wanted to take a moment to say that Chat Noir needs more credit than a lot of people give him. Certainly, Ladybug is the only one who can purify akumas, but Chat is the one who often stays behind after an attack to make sure that the victim is really okay. I've seen footage of him talking to the person after the fact, and that says to me what a kind and caring person he is. In my opinion, without him Ladybug wouldn't be able to do everything she does. She needs him."

In response, everyone other than Lila and Chloe began clapping and nodding, at least until Alya nudged Marinette and whispered something into her ear. Marinette immediately flushed scarlet, and quickly urged for the next person to speak.

Once Max was picked, he pushed his glasses up and began; "To build off of what Marinette said, there is statistically only a thirty-seven percent chance of any akuma being captured while Ladybug is on the scene without Chat Noir. Once Chat arrives, however, there has been to date a ninety-eight-point-three percent chance of the akuma being captured and purified when the two are working in tandem. This reliability is not only what I admire most about the two of them, but it also mathematically proves that Ladybug is at her best when Chat Noir is with her. In addition, when everything is said and done, they have never failed to save us, or the whole of Paris for that matter."

"Alright, guess I'm last pick?" Alix started, though she said she was 'only kidding' when Roman started to apologize. "I've been thinking about what everyone has been saying, as well as my own experiences with Ladybug and Chat Noir. In the end, I think it comes down to how hard they've worked to save us all, and to earn our trust. Think about it; when Ivan was akumatized, nobody expected anything from either of them, but once they saved the day, everyone heralded them as heroes. I believe that it's because they worked hard to save everyone every time that they earned the respect and trust of others. It wasn't just given to them, and unless they surrender completely, I don't think that they'll lose that... even years into the future."

Everyone shared a single resolute nod at Alix's statement, and then turned towards Roman. Alya spoke up; "Now that we've shared what we think about our heroes, I'd like to ask what you think about them, having come from so far away. We already know what got you interested in them - the American comics - but what made you continue watching and admiring them, Roman?"

Said transfer student simply sighed, folding his hands in front of himself.


	5. Of Villains

**I don't own Les Adventures de Ladybug et Chat Noir, please support the official release.**

* * *

Roman sat quietly for a time, processing just what the Parisian heroes meant to him. Thinking back through the dark times of his life, leading him to join kickboxing so he could get his frustration out in a constructive way, the nights he spent sobbing into a pillow so nobody else would hear, the glances he made around his room, and the way his eyes lingered on his sole comic book, bringing to mind the recently-announced real life heroes. He immediately grabbed his phone and typed in the words 'French Ladybug Superhero', leading him directly to Alya's Ladyblog.

To everyone else in Mme. Bustier's class, it was only a few anxious moments before he spoke, though to Marinette and Adrien, his voice was much sadder than normal. "Watching them gave me hope." He said. "Hope that the world is a good place, full of good people and good experiences. To me, it doesn't really matter who's behind their masks, and I have no interest in finding out. Whoever they are, whatever responsibilities they may have outside of being heroes, it doesn't affect that when they're needed, they appear to help. Nobody knows who they are, not even each other, and if they stop coming to save the day, nobody can blame them because of that. Even so, they keep coming to be heroes. I asked myself why they would do that many times when I first started watching them. As I continued to watch, the answer I came to is 'because they're heroes'. It's as simple as that. They are heroes, regardless of who they are under those masks, and it made me hopeful that the world isn't as bad of a place I thought it was before I saw them." Everyone was silent for a moment, but then an arm was laid across Roman's shoulders, coming from none other than Ivan. With that, everyone gathered around and - in no uncertain terms - let Roman know that if he ever needed to talk, he could reach out to any of them, even after he went back to America.

Most of the class returned to their seat at this point, though Roman remained with Nino, Alya, Marinette, and Adrien near the front of the class. Alya was looking pointedly at Roman now, and seemed to take a moment before putting her thoughts into words.

"So..." she began, keeping her voice a bit lower than before, "You had some questions about akumas, right?" Roman nodded, and she continued. "It's a bit of a sore spot for a lot of people, considering how most of us have been akumatized, other than Marinette and Adrien.

"I apologize. If it's a sore spot then I shouldn't ask, right?" Roman quickly amended.

Alya responded quickly. "It depends on who you ask, but I think it's better for you to know as much about them as you can. It's easier to protect yourself from them that way."

"Alright, then... how do akumas work, exactly?" Roman inquired. "I know that if you get hit by one, you turn into a supervillain, but I don't really understand the specifics of where they come from or why the supervillains do what they do."

"Well...", Nino interjected, "Akumas are these nasty butterflies that come from this awful supervillain dude named Hawkmoth. He locks onto a person's emotions when they're feeling upset or angry, and then sends his akuma to take control of them. Major freakshow."

Surprisingly, Chloe was the next to speak up; "And that's not even the worst part! His suit is this awful shade of purple paired with a silver mask! He has no sense of style whatsoever, and it shows whenever he controls someone. For example, when he turned me into Queen Wasp, he ruined - absolutely ruined - my skintone by turning me YELLOW!" Despite the notably vain comment, there was a general consensus that the students weren't entirely happy with their villain costumes.

Alya used this lull in conversation to regain control. "Beyond being able to transform people by hunting down negative emotion, they can multiply rapidly if left alone for too long, transforming many more people into villains. This is why Ladybug needs to purify them immediately after destroying the object that they nest inside."

"Oh, I remember hearing about something like that, though it only happened once, since that was when Ladybug first debuted, correct?" Roman inquired.

"You're well-informed, no doubt due to my Ladyblog!" Alya replied with a smug look on her face, before nodding. "Yes, it only happened once, and Ladybug hasn't missed one since."

Nodding in return, Roman continued; "Quite a bit of it is due to the Ladyblog, though I did do a small amount of research before throwing myself wholesale into your blog alone. Next question though; I understand a little bit about the 'Miraculous' items that Ladybug and Chat Noir possess, though why does Hawkmoth want them so badly?"

"I have the answer to that query!" Came Markov's from further back in the room, as he rose from Max's bag. Said exchange student had attempted to make sense of the self-thinking robot over the time he spent with Max, but still could not fully grasp the concept. "When I was akumatized, Hawkmoth explained to me that once he had both Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous items, he could use them to make a wish, though would not elaborate on what kind of wish he desired."

This information, which had not previously been known, resulted in differing reactions from a number of students in the room. A gasp from Chloe, Alya and Roman, nervous demeanor from Adrien and Marinette, and a hidden smirk from Lila. None of these small gestures were given much note, however, as the classroom then erupted into speculation.

"There's no way they don't know about this, right?" exclaimed Alix, only to be countered by Kim; "If they knew about it, they would just wish Hawkmoth away though. Poof! No more supervillain!"

"I don't think it would be that easy." Mylene chimed in, "There are a bunch of stories about how wishes can go badly if you misuse them. You get what you ask for, but you lose something in return." Ivan nodded in response to her comment, patting her gently on the shoulder because she was able to interject during such a noisy discussion.

"In which case, Alya." Roman quickly turned to the Ladyblogger who was already typing furiously at her phone. "We shouldn't spread this information on your blog. There are a lot of people - normal, everyday people - who would be enticed by the prospect of a wish, even one with a cost, to work alongside Hawkmoth. To give Ladybug and Chat a better chance of succeeding in stopping him, let's keep this between us here in the classroom, yeah?"

Sadly, albeit slowly, Alya nodded and began deleting her draft post. "By the way, Roman." She addressed, "You've mentioned a lot about Hawkmoth, but what do you think about Mayura?" The confused look on his face said it all. "Oh my gosh, you don't KNOW about Mayura?!" Alya all but screamed at him.

"No, but I have the distinct feeling that you're going to tell me about them." Was his curt reply. Alya then proceeded to explain the appearance, powers, and nature of the supervillainess Mayura, including all the known details and cases of Amoks and Sentimonsters, and her association with Hawkmoth. By the time she had finished her explanation, it was only a few moments before the final bell rang and students began leaving for the day. Since Kim had stayed to listen to Roman's interview, the two of them left for the pool together. Marinette exited the front doors of the school behind them, alongside Nino, Alya and Adrien. After bidding adieu to her closest friends, she headed home to her family bakery, the Dupain-Cheng Boulangerie Patisserie.

Opening the door from the frigid and gently snowing weather outside, Marinette entered the bakery situated under her family's living space and inhaled. The warm scents of freshly-baked croissants, choux pasteries, macarons, and the like made her mouth water. Her father Tom Dupain, a large french man with a bushy brown mustache, welcomed her inside with open arms. Her mother Sabine Cheng, a small Chinese woman, held out a small tray of baked goods for Marinette as she passed through the store and into the kitchen. There were most certainly perks to being the daughter of the two best bakers in all of Paris. Washing her hands and donning an apron, Marinette quickly set to work helping in both kitchen and store as foot traffic soon picked up; the workday was ending for most, and the citizens of Paris tended to enjoy having a warm pastry to keep them toasty in the cold weather.

Soon enough, the evening rush was over, and Marinette washed up before ascending the stairs into her room. Pink wallpaper was decorated with pictures of her friend, classmate and crush, Adrien Agreste, while her desk held not only a workspace for school, but a sewing machine and several materials for designing and making clothing. As she sat down to start upon her homework, Marinette deigned to turn on her phone and look at the local news, checking for any ill-timed akuma alerts. She found the tail end of a show run by the popular TV host, Alec Cataldi, a dark-skinned man in his late 20s to early 30s wearing his usual light blue T-shirt and beige pants. Just as he was wrapping up the show, however, a sinister laugh echoed through the camera, which was soon dropped. The feed sputtered out, and Marinette knew that an akuma had just reared its ugly head.


	6. Mistaken Identity

**I do not own Les Adventures de Ladybug et Chat Noir, please support the official show.**

* * *

Ladybug swung rooftop to rooftop, throwing her yo-yo in an easy rhythm. She's done this so many times now, it became second nature to her, which allowed her time to think about what powers this newest akuma might possess. Unfortunately, the camera shorted out soon after the sinister laughter, preventing her from gleaning any information. She and Chat would be going in blind, and worse, due to the semi-recent actions of Chloe Bougeois, all of the people she could loan miraculouses for help were unmasked. Until she found new holders, she couldn't rely on any of them for help. Ladybug bit her lip at the thought of all her close allies being ripped away from her, but quickly shook her head and refocused. The TV studio was straight ahead, and standing atop the roof was her feline partner.

Posed heroically on the roof of the TV studio, Chat Noir watched the graceful movements of his lady as she approached. Casually, he attempted to slick back his mess of wild blond hair to no avail, and as her feet made contact with the concrete center of the roof itself, he called out to her; "It's wonderful weather we're having, sunny with a chance of gorgeous." Followed with a wink and a smirk, he was greeted with a roll of the eyes and an exasperated groan.

Taking a more serious tone, the feline hero continued; "I've been hearing a lot of strange things from inside the building. Whispers, almost. A number of voices repeating the same phrases over and over, like they're stuck on repeat. It's most likely a result of the akuma, but I can't tell what powers they may have from listening alone."

Nodding, Ladybug gestured to the roof access door. "Then we need to go in, but be on guard."

"A _sound_ idea, milady." A second groan signaled their entrance of the building.

* * *

Moving through the studio's hallways, it quickly became apparent to the two heroes that something was amiss. The hallways were completely empty, as were the various rooms. Even the whispers that Chat previously heard had gone silent. It seemed as though the building was entirely abandoned. Eventually, the duo came to the orange double doors leading into the recording studio, where the video feed was cut off. It was likely to be empty, but was the only reasonable starting point, as the akuma was previously there.

Gently pressing his feline ear to the door, Chat quickly made a series of hand gestures towards his spotted partner. Ladybug deciphered that there was a single person in the room, though Chat couldn't tell whether or not they were the akuma or a civilian. Cracking open the door, they saw a figure dressed in all black, with a long cape wrapped around their upper body, and a hood covering their head. Exchanging a quick glance, the two quickly sprung into action. Chat kicked the door open with a loud thud, while Ladybug threw her yoyo through the opening, maneuvering it to wrap around the figure, bringing them down and binding their arms. Moving in, Chat unfurled his staff and used it to turn the figure to face them. A porcelain, venetian-style opera mask covered the upper left corner of their face, while the remainder of the face looked as if shadows had taken on the physical form of a person's face. This unnatural appearance was a dead giveaway; this could only be the akuma, which is why the figure's first words unleashed a new layer of confusion:

"Ladybug, Chat Noir! Thank goodness you're here! Please save me!"

Temporarily taken aback, Ladybug and Chat Noir looked at each other, and the spotted heroine watched as a crooked smile started to form on her partner's lips.

"If you ask if a cat got my tongue, I will tie you up and leave you here."

That was the end of Chat's smirk.

Turning back to the akuma before them, they soon asked the question at the forefront of their minds:

"Save you? You do realize that you look like an akuma in a place where an akuma appeared. So I a-_paw_-logize for our caution." The signature smirk was back in place, and a quick glance at Ladybug confirmed that she was rolling her eyes, though not letting down her guard.

"Listen, I understand what it looks like, but I'm Alec Cataldi, y'know, the TV show host? The last thing I remember was seeing someone dressed in all black wearing a half mask entering the room, attacking the cameraman, and then leaping at me. Next thing I know, I'm waking up in the dressing room, looking like the person who attacked me."

"Really?" Chat inquired. "With that getup I was sure your name would be Erik." The superhero shrugged before turning to Ladybug. "As far as my feline intuition goes, he's not lying, but that doesn't help us understand much."

"Right." Ladybug responded. "Currently, this akuma sounds similar to Reflekta, placing their appearance on others, but that doesn't explain how empty the hallways were. It's likely that there's more to this akuma than what we know now."

It was at this moment the lights in the recording room went out, and the screeching of metal could be heard. Quickly assessing the room, Chat saw through his night vision that one of the stage lights above was falling towards Ladybug, who did not have the same nocturnal powers as himself. Throwing himself at her, they both tumbled out of the way as the light crashed and shattered on impact. Reassessing, Chat watched as a figure quickly retreated from the captured Alec before moving to the door out of the room. Grabbing his lady's hand, Chat pulled her up and towards the door, only to be suddenly blinded as the figure pushed it open. Pressing forward, the super-duo found themselves in the brightly-lit hallway, squinting their eyes as a person dressed in black disappeared around the corner.

"Chat, what happened in there?"

"I'm not entirely sure. The lights in the room went out, but one of the stage lights above was falling towards you. After getting you out of the way, I saw someone approach our _purr_-isoner before running out the door."

Ladybug's eyes widened, and she began to pull on her yoyo string, bringing Alec out of the dark room.

Only, it wasn't Alec, or whoever the masked figure actually was. Instead, a lifeless mannequin was the only thing reeled in.

"Wow! What a _model citizen_!"

"Chat!"


End file.
